The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-03-01

eyes watching every thing. There was
no reason that the Baron should die be-
cause the mirror fell, he said. 1t was
all nonsense. He was the only man in
the village who disbelieved in the omen
of the Schwartzberg Castle.
When the notary passed-the old man
with long white hair-he bowed to
Hartmann. 1t was queer thing that
the notary always bowed to Hartmann,
the working man; sometimes Hartmann
even went to supper with him, which
was queer thing still.
III.
Up at the mountain castle the long
tapestried drawing room was dimly
! lighted. and the great, round, broken
mirror lay untouched upon the floor.
The granddaughter of the Baron was
there with a friend from Geneva, the
young lawyer, Ludwig Schmidt
friend, and more than friend. Bertha
was in the first blush and beauty of
girlhoOd. fair and pink. with soft blue
: German eyes. and curls too rich to he
laxen. She was letting Ludwig cut
one little curl, with her pretty head
bent for the robbery. The shadow of
, death doomed over her home again,
while she was still wearing "a mourning
gown for her boy brother: -, though
they were lovers. even To the sweet
folly of giving a love-lock, they could
not be very light-heartcd tonight.
"And why not have the broken mir
ror taken away?' the young lawyer. of
Leipsic asked. There is no room for
superstition in the legal and logical
mind.
at is ill-luck for whoever touches
it, said Bertha, with a blush; but she
could not get him to believe such fool
ishncss. He put the love-lock in the in
neTmost recess of his pOcketbOok, and
then, with his own hands, gathered the
ruins of the mirror OH to a table and
rang for servant to take them away
out of everybody's sight.
You picked them up, sir?" said the
servant nervOusly.
al did," said Ludwig. with laugh.
There's no fear of ill-luck for you, my
good fellow. you are so cautious"
lit would have been wise, sir, Ia
have left it as it fell until after the
change of the MOON"
Ludwig gave a growl of contempt.
. MY good man. would not he such a
moOnstruck lunatic Take the pieces
away"
Bertha admired him more than ever.
aS every girl admires brave man. IT
seemed such a daring deed TO be the
one to pick up that mirror. she mistook,
his common sense for bravery.
'YOU grandfather is dying of sheer
fright, the Young man went on, step
ping out on the terrace and leading the
girl with him. THE omen will come
true if the fear of it kills him.
but, dear Ludwig said the girl,
leaning on the balustrade, and feeling
helplessly ignorant as she looked up at
her wise lover, and loved him the more
for a mans superior wisdom. "we
should all like not To believe in the
omen: but what could have knocked
the mirror DOWN."
1t was indeed puzzling. The nails
that had held that mirror were "a long
as man hand. They had been buried
in the wall like shafts of iron. and out
of the wall they had dragged them
selves, after being for fifty wears safe
and firm. Bertha herself iIad been in
the drawing room singing Gounod's
'.Serenade," with her iianrc leaning
against the piano watching the light
from the candles making a halo about
her fair hair, and the old Baron was
doing i'm his chair with the dor at his
feet. when all nj once. with no hand
near it, the great mirror had dragged
its nails out of the opposite wall and
crashed down upon the floor. The dog
had hOwled and barkcd. the servants
had rushed i'm. and i'm the midst IF the
confusion the old man voice had said
with a tremble:
MY hour has GOMEZ
His strength had failed: he had beer
confined to his room; he WAS dying.
When Ludwig and Bertha walked
along the terrace they hu~hcd their
steps near those open windows farther
on than the old drawing room.
He is awake AGAIN. said Ludwig. |
looking into the cnrtiincd gloom. Go |
TO him. Bertha, if you like. and can |
have smoke i'm the Garden. Youmight |
ask him about the will"
.sRIIt dOnft ,-.rt I,;n, 70 do InJ
wig" |
MY poor little Bertha. what strange
things they have taught you. He wont
die moment sooner because he makes |
a will. 1t is the right thing la do
Whatever Ludwig said was RIGHT. WAS
supremacy right always "a the loacly.
half taught girl; so aS she sal beside